In developing my problem-based activity, I will focus on designing a GAME PLAN which promotes self-directed learning using an engaged or active learning approach. I will use scaffolding to organize the tasks into manageable steps to insure progress towards completing the assignment by the groups. The students will use prior knowledge, internet search, and synthesis of data to interpret information to draw and rationalize conclusions regarding their findings in completing the assignment. The technology used during this acitivity will serve to promote authentic learning as the students will be required to collaborate online and in-class to complete the project.
I will provide guidance and support to the students as members of the group and individually. In addition, I will serve as the content expert to answer questions related to the topic, as well as technological concerns. After introducing the upcoming activity to the students, I will give them an Essential Question which will help to focus their attention to the assigned topic. Additionally, I will provide them with a list of gathered resources which they can use to search and collect information to support their findings. Finally, I will describe the daily check list I will be using during daily observation, as well as the rubric which will be used to evaluate the final project.
In assigning students to groups, I will consider the reading ability and technological skill level of the students in order to insure that each group is intellectually balanced and operating at the highest functional level, as possible. The groups will consist of no more than three students based on class size of 27 students and 10 computer workstations in the classroom.
I will set up a discussion page on Wiki which each students will be invited and required to sign on to reflect on the progress and challenges in completing the task. In addition, I will provide a schedule of three to four discussion questions which the group will be required to respond to throughout the duration of the project. I will provide students with URL's to required videoes on pre- Civil War events and pictures as resources to responding to discussion questions. Finally, the group will be asked to create a digital storyboard to present their findings to the class as a conclusion to the project. The students in the class will submit individual reflection papers of what they learned during this process.
The students will be given a rubric to use as a frame of reference on how they will be evaluated on the final product. In order to insure students remain on-task during class time, I will use an observation check list of three to five statements to monitor student progress.
Incorporating Collaboration